Puck

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Harriet Hosmer was an American artist whose most famous work, 'Puck', a mischievous sprite from Shakespeare's (1564-1616) 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', brought her widespread recognition in 1856. As one of the most successful female artists of the 19th century, Hosmer had a remarkable career, born in Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1830, and spent much of her life in Rome, where she was part of a group of women artists expressing feminist and anti-slavery views through their neoclassical sculptures. Hosmer learned the art of sculpture from John Gibson (1790-1866), a renowned Welsh sculptor who gave her a studio at his garden's bottom. Her work followed Gibson's neoclassical style, but with a twist - she infused it with feminist views, depicting strong female figures struggling to be heard. Knowing that sculptures of literary characters were often more commercially successful, Hosmer produced 30 marble replicas of 'Puck', earning over $30,000 and purchasing one replica in 1859 from the Prince of Wales (the future Edward VII) using his own pocket money. The commercial success of these copies allowed her to pursue even more progressive themes. The women who followed Harriet Hosmer's lead formed a tight-knit group that would go on to shape art history, feminism, and LGBTQ+ rights. This group rejected societal norms and expectations placed on women, embracing alternative lifestyles and relationships. For instance, Hosmer never married, financially supported herself, lived with other women, and wore masculine attire, shocking the local community by riding horses unaccompanied in Rome - a rare sight for women of her standing at that time. By proving that women could carve marble and study anatomy, Hosmer paved the way for future generations of female sculptors. Her work also inspired others to challenge societal norms and pursue careers in the arts despite the limitations placed on them. When faced with allegations that she hadn't created her statue of Zenobia, Harriet Hosmer responded by emphasizing the role of the artist as a creator of concepts, not just a craftsman. She cited famous artists like Raphael and Thorvaldsen whose studio workers executed their designs. In doing so, she highlighted the importance of intellectual labor in sculpture, separating it from manual labor. "It is time that some distinction should be made between the labor of the hand and the labor of the brain," Hosmer declared, emphasizing the need to recognize the value of artistic conception over physical execution.